1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to abrading devices for roughening, smoothing, polishing, sanding and finishing surfaces and more particularly to a new and improved manual contour sanding or finishing device or tool and abrasive material structure.
2. Description Of Prior Art
There are numerous devices in the prior art for sanding or grinding contoured surfaces. For example, for sanding or grinding the surfaces of moldings having a profiled surface contour or cross-section and for sanding or grinding the edge surfaces of panel type work pieces, tools are required which have a counter profile matching with the surface configuration or profile to be finished. The counter or matching profile of the tool is coated with the grinding material. It is known to make such sanding or grinding or finishing tools of rubber, cork or similar materials, whereby the counter or matching profile is machined into the tool, for example, by a grinding operation. Thereafter, a grinding cloth is secured to the machined surface of the tool, for example, by an adhesive bonding.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,574 there is disclosed an example of a prior art sanding tool and method of making the same. As disclosed, the tool is manufactured in a foaming mold which is equipped with at least one inwardly facing profiled surface configuration corresponding to that of the molding for which the tool is intended. The grinding material is then applied to the profiled surface in the mold. A curable foam is then filled into the mold and the mold is closed to permit the curing of the foam material, whereby the abrasive or finishing material is intimately bonded to the cured foam material along the profiled surface configuration. When the tool is removed from the mold it is substantially a finished tool ready for use.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 470,794; 1,062,214 and 1,570,177 each disclose various forms of sanding blocks having a plurality of plates which are adjustably mounted so that they will extend variable distances to conform generally with the configuration of the surface to be worked upon with sanding paper attached to the configured plate surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,220,727 discloses a holder for an abrasive sheet comprising a pair of members, the adjacent faces of the members being flat, and the sheet enclosing the lower member and having its ends overlying the flat face thereof. Elongated rod members are provided to resist relative lateral displacement of the upper and lower members when in superposed relationship. A clamp is provided to draw the upper and lower members into pressure abutment with the ends of the sheet whereby the sheet ends will conform to the contour between the upper and lower members and be secured against displacement.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,982,059 discloses a hand sander for flat and variously curved surfaces in which a sandpaper sleeve is slipped over a U-shaped holder whereby the flexible side walls and open side of the holder permits the sandpaper to be deflected to fit various curved surfaces.
The state of the art is also believed to be exemplified by the following patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,112,593; 2,435,335; 3,089,294 and English Patent 774,465.
In many applications, and more especially with regard to the repair of modern automobile bodies, elongated concave grooves also known as a body line, for example, must be abraded for removing unwanted filling material and smoothing prior to finishing. In the past, automobile body panels were generally constructed of thicker or heavy gauge metals and did not require the use of body lines to provide structural strength to the body panels. In present day automobiles as in the recent past, automobiles are manufactured using thinner and lighter gauge metals for both economical and operational reasons. Thinner gauge metal panels reduce the manufacturing cost. Additionally the resulting reduction in weight of the automobile permits the use of smaller engines with improved fuel efficiency.
In order for manufacturers of automobiles to employ body panels formed of thinner and lighter weight metal structures, the body panels are provided (by stamping processes, for example) with elongated contoured concave grooves or body lines to provide structural strength to the metal panel as is well known in the industry. For example, each side of the automobile may consist of 3 to 4 body panels depending upon whether it is a 2 door or 4 door model. Each panel is provided with 1 or 2 body lines such as an upper and lower body lines which are formed to run lengthwise of the automobile and are juxtaposed to simulate a continuous body line. In some instances decorative molding strips are attached to the body lines or grooves. Generally automobile manufacturers employ the same body line forming equipment for a number of years even though other areas of body style may change. As a result, the profiled surface contour of the body lines remain unchanged for particular manufacturer's models for periods in excess of 3 to 5 years.
When such body lines are damaged as a result of an accident, the time and accuracy involved in repair of such damage becomes extremely important. Presently, to repair such panel body lines to their original contour to match the undamaged body line is difficult if not impossible and time consuming with prior art devices.
Accordingly, a principle desirable object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved manually usable device for abrading a profiled surface contour.
Another desirable object of the present invention is to provide an abrading device which corresponds or matches precisely to the profiled contour of the work piece to be finished.
Another desirable object of the present invention is to provide an abrading device which can be made and used in lengthened or shortened form depending upon the tool length desired.
Another desirable object of the present invention is to provide an abrading device which is uniquely adapted to receive an abrasive material and maintain the abrasive material in conformity with the contour of the surface to be abraded.
Another desirable object of the present invention is to provide a abrasive material having a predetermined thickness whether the abrading material is rough, intermediate or fine particles.
A still further desirable object of the present invention is to achieve the above desirable objects with an essentially simple structure, lending itself to inexpensive mass-production.
These and other desirable objects of the invention will in part appear hereinafter and will in part become apparent after consideration of the specification with reference to the accompanying drawings and the claims.